1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a musical composition provision system capable of musical lessons and games by streaming musical composition data to electronic musical apparatuses such as electronic musical instruments from a server apparatus via a communication network such as the Internet.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, there are known systems that provide musical composition data to terminal equipment such as electronic musical instruments from a server apparatus via a communication network such as the Internet. For example, in the system described in a patent document of Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2002-341864, the server apparatus streams musical composition data to the terminal equipment. The terminal equipment is configured to be capable of automatic play based on the streamed musical composition data.
Data is successively transmitted and received in units of packets via communication networks such as the Internet. When the communication is congested, the transmission is often interrupted. Accordingly, during realtime reproduction of musical composition data streamed in the terminal equipment, the musical composition data to be reproduced is interrupted. As a result, the reproduction is often interrupted. To solve this problem, the system disclosed in the patent document stores the specified amount of streamed musical composition data in buffer memory and then starts the reproduction. Depending on communication situations, however, data reception may be interrupted to affect the automatic play.
On the other hand, there are musical composition data delivery services such as “Net de He Ciao” (registered trademark) provided by YAMAHA CORPORATION. According to this system, a personal computer (PC) is used to download musical composition data from a server. The downloaded data is stored in the PC or electronic musical instrument. Capabilities of PC software sequencer and the electronic musical instrument can be used to automatically play music or display a musical score. Alternatively, an electronic musical instrument's user can play the music in synchronization with such reproduction operations, and grade or evaluate his or her performance skill.
Since the system uses the downloaded and purchased musical composition data, a high royalty is needed, which increases the price of the musical composition data. When the musical composition data is used, the PC and the electronic musical instrument may grade or evaluate the performance skill of the user independently of the server apparatus. Consequently, the user needs to search or select a musical composition to be purchased and performed next based on his or her own judgement.
To solve this problem, there is a demand for a service capable of streaming musical composition data from a server apparatus to electronic musical apparatus such as an electronic musical instrument, enabling musical performance operation in synchronization with the streamed musical composition data, and enabling properly and effectively performing musical lessons and games.